Rea says that fear is a normal part of human behaviour and everyday life, and if it isn’t blown out of proportion, it prepares our body to react to danger.

Meanwhile, a phobia is much more intense and falls under the umbrella of an anxiety disorder because it produces such a high level of anxiety.

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“An irrational fear is intense and quite unreasonable and almost pushes you away from actually facing the situation, person, or event,” she says.

Fears and phobias generally form during childhood and are often a learned response to something. For example, Rea says a child could become fearful of a smoke detector if one time there was a loud noise and they happened to be looking at a smoke detector at that time.

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“It’s generally a disturbing event, no matter how mild, that’s manifested or you’ve suppressed and presents itself as an adult fear or phobia,” Rea explains.

It may seem outlandish, but Rea says hypnosis can work in quelling your phobia.

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However, she says that the biggest thing in addressing a phobia is cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).

“That means we engage in what’s called systematic desensitisation - gradually exposing the person to their fear,” she explains.